Member postings for Nicholas Farr

Hi Didier, you only get digital access to the magazine you subcribe to, so you would need to subcribe to MEW as well to get access to both digital issues.

Regards Nick.

Hi, thanks every one for taking an interest in my stand and the positive comments which have been made.

Michael the footprint was predomently chosen by the fact that from the start I intended to be able to sit at the machine with my legs underneth without being sqashed in, the top being large enough for this to be achieved. I agree with you, that being able to get access all round is a big advantage, as measuring from the back is so much easyer. Being able to clean around the floor area without having to move the machine, makes it so simple with this design.

Setting up this little casting was such a easy option being able get to the right hand side.

Neil, it is actually Royal Blue according to the label on the tin. Never did any of the blunging or washing, I just had to fix them when they went wrong, anyway it was clay and mud the company was getting rid of, as it was industrial sand they are interested in.

Peter your set up sounds pretty sturdy, I never made any calculations for my stand, but I guess being experienced in fabrication and welding in my line of work it becomes a secound nature.

Thor, the machine mounts were purchased from Warco, no connection with them. http://www.warco.co.uk/machine-mounts--guards/302787-machine-mounts.html

Regards Nick.

Edited By Nicholas Farr on 06/05/2013 20:28:22

I have completed my mini mill stand this weekend and would like all you guys to see some photos of it.

Apart from the machine mounts, the paint and the bolts that hold the mill down, every part of it was free. The legs are made from used 40 X 40 X 2mm box which I aquired from a job modification last year that a work colleague and myself did last year. The angle iron frame that holds the top on was given to me by a neighbour who moved away a few years ago.

The top was from a makeshift coffee table that I used some time ago when funds were not able to buy one.

This I got from my old employment many many years ago which was part of a taller stand for a two way radio system. The legs were removed to leave just the upper board.

Four waste bits about 11mm thick from a heavy section of channel iron, which I cut out with a 50mm rotor broach on a job a work a couple of months ago were used in the bottom of the box section legs were drilled and threaded for the machine mounts.

Here is a photo of the frame when it was painted.

Four raising blocks were made from high abrasion risitant plastic. This was an off cut from 28mm sheet when I used to work for my old employer, which were used as replacment liner plates in their Attrition Scrubbers, (nothing to do with red light areas or domestic servents) for those who are interested in knowing about attriction scrubbers look at this http://www.floatex.co.uk/brochures/Floatex%20Scrubber.pdf the first photo is of the two banks are the actual ones that my then colleagues and myself used to maintain.

There are more photos of the genaral construction proceedures in my Bespoke Mini Mill Stand album for anyone who would like to look at them.

The final stand was designed to be used sitting down, but it's not to low to be used standing for short periods.

Regards Nick.

Edited By Nicholas Farr on 05/05/2013 23:37:21

Hi Fizzy, congratulations to you both and all the best for Harriet Grace.

Nice names you've chosen for her.

Regards Nick.

Hi, well yesterday I came accross my late farthers test indicater which is called "The Unique", it was a bit rusty so I decided to spend a half hour cleaning it up and put a little protective polish on.

This was the only type of test indicater he ever had, in fact he had two of them. It reads from 0 - 15 thou and it still works OK.

Regards Nick.

Edited By Nicholas Farr on 28/04/2013 08:49:19

Hi. I have to agree with Peter, as he knows I have the same model lathe and the foward/reverse switch has been used countless number of times without any problems to the switch. Under the heading of Electrical equipment on this lathe's operation manual and a sub heading of Main eliments; "SB3 - cam-operated switch nnr-20 for switching and reversing the motor". Maybe they just made them better than the Dewhirst ones.

Regards Nick.

Edited By Nicholas Farr on 25/04/2013 21:52:55

Hi, when I was about 27 and doing some rewiring on my house at the time, I too tested the so called undertakers theory. Don't ask how or why, but a pair of pliers in each hand ment I could not let go. I had to actually throw my whole body backwards to get off the shocking expereance (pun intended) and the only floorboard in the room that was lifted, my foot went down and punched a hole through the kitchen ceiling. I was needless to say all shook up for an hour or so, but I'm more than double that age now and know better.

As regards to NVR's and AC relays, some six years or so ago, I made a stand alone drilling station using my late farthers Bonds "Maximus" sensitive drill press, to which I used an AC relay without having to use a bridge retifier. It performs well and does not chatter or buzz. It is however the plug in type, so if it did give up, it can quite simply be replaced.

There is a picture in my general photos album of the drilling station, along with a circuit schematic for anyone who is interested.

Regards Nick.

Hi, some interesting solutions. However, assuming that the three holes are equispaced, there is a simple trig solution without too much head scratching maths. Consider my drawing below and then look at the three triangles, the pionts of which represent the position of the said three holes. It will be seen that the angle between a line through two of the holes and the centre point will always be 30 degrees.

Now consider the small triangle abc, where c represents half of the 100mm ctr's and a represents the radius of the circle, which is found by the trionometry equasion shown.

Regards Nick.

Hi Neil, my younger brother and myself moved a couple, lifted them onto a transit truck, but that was 15-20 year ago when I was just into my 40's something. It is doable with two, but easyer with three.

Regards Nick.

Hi, well today I found out that I need another 32 tooth change gear for my Boxford to screwcut my new blank backplate. So thats that job on hold till at least Thursday evening.

Regards Nick.

Hi Kane, the method Andy has shown is a safe way of holding your block. Whatever way you do it, don't be tempted to use G-clamps or anything else that can escape during turning should the set up become loose.

Regards Nick.

Hi Andrew, the white ones have the same spec as the green one shown in john's photo. The scan below is from thier 2003 catalogue.

Like Eddie I've had one for 15 years and it still has the oridginal motor on it. Below is a photo of the motor spec plate on mine.

Are you sure you are not putting too much tension on the drive belt adjusutment, it should not be drum tight, you should be able to flex it a little with finger pressure between the pulleys. A tight belt can make the motor work harder and over heat as well as putting undue pressure on the bearings.

Regards Nick.

Edited By Nicholas Farr on 29/03/2013 12:16:04

Hi, like Chris and John I didn't know Geoff personally. The only contact I had with him was booking in a few exhibits to the shows over the years, but it was Gill that I've only really spoken to.

My sympathies to Gill and family.

Hi John, try this **LINK**

Regards Nick.

Hi, the advert shown below from a local iornmongers Autumn 1958 catalogue (sadly no longer trading) is of a Wolf Cub which should confirm Bob D photos

Looks a bargain at the price, but to put it in prospective, this was almost as much as my farther earned in a basic week at that time.

Regards Nick.

Hi Stuart, thank you for that esteemed high award, but I forgot to mention (it was getting late) that just when I needed to rig the workshop up permanently with electricity, the electricians threw about 20 meters of 10mm four cored armour cable my way when they ripped out a redundant supply. As my workshop is about 12 meters away from the house it made the paint quite cheap really.

Regards Nick.

Hi Anchorman, I have a BUD and it's in a cold workshop but never suffers from what you are describing. My headstock bearings are grease packed and have those screw down refillable caps. Mine was driven by 3/4 HP 3 phase motor originally but I converted it to a single phase motor, but reading the paragraph on single phase conversion in this **LINK** I choose a 1HP motor and have not suffered any of the problems mentioned in that paragraph. (it's the one right at the bottom) I agree with Les that it could be a slipping belt, often the link one that goes up to the headstock, or a pulley on the shaft, but I think that would make it's self known sooner than later.

Regards Nick.

Edited By Nicholas Farr on 24/02/2013 14:24:20

Hi, I think my best summit for nowt that I've ever had (financially that is) is my garage/workshop. It started off with the floor which was an old loading ramp for fork trucks to load up containers which are carried on lorries and also those big container type lorries. It got scrapped because the insurers would not insure it because the supporting structure was in need of serious repair which would have cost more the a new lighter duty and manoeuvrable one.

Even had free use of transport to bring it to site. The pad of concrete was free and delivered as well. The framework was next, which was a disused and rather tiered old mess room that lived it's life in a quarry.

The semi-circle angle irons originally held the roof on, which was corrugated iron. If you look at the picture closely you can see the sides were made of four frames, two each side bolted together but I had to set them apart to match the length of the floor. I had to replace all the joining plate along the bottom as they had well rusted away and also made new plates to hold the new roof angles on. There is another picture in my general photos album which show the side more clearly for those who are interested. The semi-circle angles are used here manily to carry the runners for my lifting gantry.

The sheeting covering the final framework was also free, as by the time I got to this stage there was a lot of scrap sheeting removed from a processing plant, due to corrosion where the were fixed to the purlins. Also had some metal window frames given me as well. The only major thing I had to buy was the paint.

Regards Nick.

Edited By David Clark 1 on 24/02/2013 10:32:04

Hi, there is an artical in ME 4450 about piston rings a how to make them. Should be in the shops next Friday.

Regards Nick.

P.S. 4450 is in the digital issues already.

Edited By Nicholas Farr on 16/02/2013 20:37:22

Hi John, yes, I got the same message about whole pounds only. You might imagine how I was shouting at the 'puter that I only put in whole pounds. Tried it a couple of times, then thought maybe you could only put in the starting bid first but, no that didn't work, then tried a simple 10 and made some sort of comment like stupid %$*"!)( idea when it accepted it. I then had to do it all again to get my max bid that I was happy about and hope for the best. But I lost out.

Regards Nick.

Oh and there is no results page to see how much you lost out on.

Edited By Nicholas Farr on 14/02/2013 22:18:40